USAupdated 22m ago3 min read
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin Rules Out Amnesty, Calls It a “Red Line for Republicans”
“that’s not how it’s playing — or going to play — with Trump’s base.”
“Whether or not you think amnesty is a good idea, I wouldn’t get too excited about the president’s comments.”
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Mullin rules out amnesty for undocumented immigrants. Mullin says no conversation with Trump yet on concrete policy changes.
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Mullin rejects amnesty
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin ruled out any amnesty for people living illegally in the United States while saying he had not yet spoken with President Donald Trump about concrete changes to immigration policy after the midterm elections. Mullin told reporters on the sidelines of a conference near Washington, D.C., that he strongly opposes any amnesty and called it “a red line for Republicans,” while he said, “We haven’t had any conversation solely about policy.” Mullin also said Trump has indicated he wants to work with Democrats, and Mullin described the scope as, “We should start working with them and then meet at some point.”
Mullin pointed to DACA as a form of protection from deportation for children brought to the country illegally by their parents, and he said legalizing their status would depend on Congress. Mullin added, “We will never allow amnesty to occur,” and he said, “So that's the end of the matter,” as he spoke in the Washington, D.C. suburbs.
Trump floats deal, base reacts
President Donald Trump told CBS’s “60 Minutes” that his deportation policy perhaps was “too tough” for voters, and he said he could work with Democrats on immigration after the midterm elections.
Trump described a possible approach as, “Get the killers out, get the rapists out, get all the rough ones out, get the drug dealers out,” but he said, “But let the people that are here — and in some cases here for 10 and 15 years — work a deal for them.”
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin then signaled there would be “no amnesty” and said the administration’s law enforcement approach “isn’t going to change,” while he said Trump had signaled a desire to work with Democrats.
The backlash in Trump’s base followed the “60 Minutes” interview, and the House Freedom Caucus and the Heritage Foundation posted on X with “No amnesty,” while Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis pointed to his own past comments about deportations.
Former Trump adviser Steve Cortes said, “If President Trump struck an amnesty deal with the Democrat-controlled Congress, it would be a bigger betrayal than starting the foolish war in Iran.”
DACA pathway, enforcement stays
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told reporters on the sidelines of a counter-drone conference in Maryland that “a lot of Democrats” have contacted him about working together on immigration legislation in the new Congress.
Mullin emphasized that he and Trump have not discussed changing the administration’s immigration enforcement policies, and he said, “No, we haven’t had that conversation.”
Mullin also suggested Congress could consider a pathway to permanent legal status for recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, and he said, “that’ll be up to Congress.”
A March post on X from DHS said DACA “does not confer any form of legal status in this country” and warned that recipients could be arrested and deported, including for criminal conduct.
Fox News Digital reported that DHS said ICE arrested 264 DACA recipients nationwide between Jan. 20 and Sept. 28, 2025, and that more than 92% had been charged with or convicted of a crime in the United States.